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THE 



REVIVAL MANUAL. 



\ 



BY LUTHER LEE, 
MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL. 



** Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish : for I work a work 
in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a mao 
declare it unto you. — Acts xiii. 41. 



NEW YORK: J 

rUBLiSHED AT THE WESLEYAN METHODIST BOOS ROOM, 
5 SPRUCE STREET. 

1850. 



The Lif^R.^.Ri? 
OF CnvnHESS 



f*-jf;> 



WASHINGTON 



J 



Sntered according to Act of Congress I'l tli^ ^^^'': s*r^ 

BY L. C. MATLACK and 1. uT^F^, 

la the Clerk's Office of the District Cour^ for the SoucDier» 

District of New YorK 



8ACDONALD & LI^E, PRllNt^E&JS^ 

9 srsLVct. ST&££r, r.^y* 



.X 



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PREFACE 



Infidelity assumes a variety of forms/ but in none 
is it more successful and more fatal, than when it ap- 
pears robed in livery stolen from the Sanctuary, and 
goes forth as the friend and advocate of religion, and 
assumes to steady and guide the ark of God. In this 
form, and with these pretensions, many who design to 
be honest Christians, are deceived by it, and unsus- 
pectingly embrace its errors, for the teachings of 
Christianity, who, should they meet it undisguised, 
would shun it as they would the hissing serpent. So 
far as the influences that emanate from unsanctified 
hearts is allowed to dictate the language of the pulpit, 
and direct the exercises of the sanctuary, it will con- 
strain the one to speak such smooth things as will 
startle none from their own carnal repose, and muld 
the other into a form which will secure the friend- 
ship and support of an unrenewed world. In no one 
instance has this been more strikingly illustrated than 
on the subject of conversion and the means to be em- 
ployed to procure conversions. This has led to a re- 
jection; on the part of many, of special religious efforts, 



IV PREFACE. 

and revivals, as vulgar and beneath the dignity and 
refinements of the fashionable Christianity of the age. 
And vrhy should it not be so where unsanctified heart? 
muld the form and give tone to the spirit of devo- 
tion ? Worldly-minded men and professors destitute 
of the vital energies of faith, are not suited to the v^^ork 
of revivals ; they cannot labor efficiently in them, and 
it is one of the most natural dictates of selfish and 
proud hearts to countenance and support only that 
form and spirit Of religion in which they can act their 
parts. The consequence is, revivals and special ef- 
forts are repudiated by those who adhere to the forms 
of religion without the power. 

The writer believes that revivals are the life and the 
hope of the church, and that without them she would 
soon relapse into a state of dead formality, and be 
come as destitute of the power of Godliness as those 
religious establishments, with whom membership de- 
pends upon birth-right and not a change of heart. 
To counteract these influences, and to promote genu- 
ine revivals of religion this little volume has been 
written, and dignified with the title of " Revival Man- 
ual.'' The author believes it will be found to contain 
an ample vindication of revivals, as well as useful sug- 
gestions in relation to the means of promoting them, 
and the manner of conducting them, Errors have 
often been connected with revivals, and no friend of re- 
vivals will wish to deny that they have often been in- 
jured and retarded by l)ad management on the part of 
those who have had the directing of them, and to 



PREFACE, T 

guard against these errors, and to improve their man- 
agement is one object of this little book. The writer 
is perfectly aware that no rules can supply the lack 
of good sense and sound discretion on the part of 
those who labor in, and manage revivals, yet rules 
may assist the judgment, and to some extent, supply ■ 
the lack of experience. General rules only can be 
given to advantage, and it is believed that these will 
he found in this Manual, as full as they can be render- 
ed generally useful. 

The author need only add that if it shall ap 
pear, in the day when God shall make up his jewels, 
that this little book has been the instrument, through 
God's abounding grace, of promoting a single revival, 
or of adding one to the number of converts in one re- 
vival, God will be glorified, and the author's highest 
ambition will be secured in kind, though his desires, 
prayers and hopes aim at greater success. But this 
must depend upon the use his brethren shall make of 
it, and upon the blessing of God which shall attend 
their efforts. The author's prayer is that the revival 
spirit may be re-kindled, and increase, until it shall 
pervade the whole church and the world. Amen, j 

The Author. 



CONTENTS 

Preface. ----.-> 9 

SECTION I. 

What is meant by a revival — The nature of a true 
revival. - - - - - . 9 

SECTION II. 

Revivals of religion are in harmony with the most 
enlightened christian views of the divine char- 
acter and attributed, and with God's visible provi- 
dential dealings with men. - - - 16 

SECTION III. 

Revivals of Religion are in harmony with the phi- 
losophy of the human mind. - - 23 

SECTION IV. 

Revivals of religion, as they transpire and are con- 
ducted at the present age, have a sufficient Scrip- 
tural warrant to justify christians in promoting 
them. - - - - - - 36 

SECTION V. 

The incidents of revivals, such as excitement, ex- 
travagance, and the subsequent apostacy of some 
of the converts, constitute no objection to revivals. 4^ 

SECTION YI. 
The importance of revivals. - ^ - - 53 



Till. CONTENTS. 

SECTION VII. 

The commencement of revivals, with directions for 
promoting them. - - - - 62 

SECTION VIII. 

Directions for the management of revivals — revival 
preaching. - - - - - 7^ 

SECTION IX. 
Directions for managing revivals. Government, 
prayer and singing. - - - - Q5 

SECTION X. 
The course to be pursued at and after the close of 
a revival. • - - - - 103 



THE 



REVIVAL MANUAL. 



SECTION I. 

What is meant by a revival. — The nature of a true revi- 
val explained. 

Revivals of religion have occurred in all 
ages of the Church, and though they have ex- 
hibited different features and aspects, at dif- 
ferent periods, according to the intellectual 
cast and temperament of the people among 
whom they have transpired, yet they have 
been essentially the same thing in all impor- 
tant particulars. But what is a levival? 
Some suppose that a revival is but another 
name for fanaticism ; but this is owing to a 
want of information, or to prejudice. That 
fanaticism has sometimes been developed du- 
ring the progress of a revival is not to be de- 
nied, but the revival is one thing and tho 



10 THK REVIVAL MANUAL. 

fanaticism another, and the one may exist 
without the other. It is not )oud prayers, 
noisy meetings, nor any degree of ec Stacy on 
the part of a Church or Christian congrega- 
tion that constitutes a revival ; these may all 
exist with or without a revival. 

A revival is an increased attention to reli- 
gion, including an increase of zeal and effort 
on the part of Christians, and the repentance, 
conversion and reformation of sinners. This 
is not the place to inquire into the necessity 
or propriety of these occasional religious de- 
velopments ; whetlier they are founded upon 
the true philosophy of religion and of mind, 
or whether it be more consistent to look for 
the progress of religion to be uniform, show- 
ing no more energy and no more rapid growth 
at one time than another, are questions to be 
settled in another place; we here take them 
as they are, and speak of their nature as we 
find them. The elements of a revival, as we 
understand them, include the following par- 
ticulars : 

1. An increased degree of divine influence 
in connection _^with the word preached, the 
prayers o ill red, the hymns sung, and all the 
e^Pjrts that are put forth for the upbuilding of 



THE RICVIVAI MANUAL. 11 

Christinns, and the reformation of Sinners. 
This increase of religious power is to be at- 
tributed to a greater degree of the Holy Spirit, 
which manifests itself in greater faith, grer.ter 
zeal, more vigorous efforts, and deeper feeling 
on the part of Christians generally. We will 
not pause at this point to parley with skeptics, 
who may deny the existence of what we call 
divine influence ; all true experimental Chris- 
tians know that the Spirit helpeth their infirm- 
ities, and that it helpeth more mightily at 
some times than at others. The minister 
preaches with greater liberty, he speaks with 
greater power, his hearers listen more atten- 
tivel}', feel more deeply under the word, have 
greater freedom in their own religious exer- 
cises, and are more faithful in the discharge of 
their duties. 

2- The conviction and conversion of sinners, 
is another essential element of a genuine re- 
rival. This will usually follow the state of 
things described above. When ministers and 
professed Christians are aw^ake, and feel deep- 
ly for the salvation of souls, sinners will gen- 
erally feel, repent and reform. The process 
is simply this, sinners who are careless and 
prayerless, and are " without hope and with- 



12 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

out God in the world," have their attention 
called to their spiritual interests, and see their 
guilt and danger; they feel a deep sense of 
guilt, and form a deliberate purpose to for- 
sake sin, and to obey God in future ; they do 
actually reform their habits, they go to God in 
prayer, and asking for pardon through faith 
in Jesus Christ, they receive the remission of 
their sins, and '' being justified by faith they 
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus 
Christ." When any number of sinners thus 
reform, and bring forth fruits meet for repent- 
ance, it is called a revival, or a reformation. 
When a single person is reclaimed from the 
error of his ways, as above described, we do 
not dignify it with the name of a revival, 
though we call it a conversion. 

3. A revival is generally, if not always, at- 
tended by extra or unusual religious efforts. 
A protracted meeting is commonly held in 
connection with a revival, or if not a protract- 
ed meeting, a succession of meetings, or more 
frequent meetings than are held at other times. 
The revivals may commence first, and extra 
meetings follow as a result ; or the meetings 
may be commenced first, of deliberate purpose 
on the part of the pastor and his church, and 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 13 

the revival follows as a result of the extra 
religious efforts. Be the order of cause and 
eifect as it may, we think a revival of any- 
considerable extent, seldom if ever transpires 
without extra meetings, constituting some- 
thing analogous to what is called a protracted 
meeting. The propriety of these extra efforts 
mubi be considered hereafter ; in this place 
they are only named as a fact connected with 
revivals. 

That the above is a true description of a 
revival will not be denied by any who have 
examined the subject, and made themselves 
familiar in revival scenes. It is true, all re- 
vivals are not alike in every particular ; some 
are more extensive than others, some are more 
marked than others by extraordinary displays 
of divine influence in the subjugation of obdu- 
rate sinners, and some are more noted than 
others for irregularities and extraneous devel- 
opments, which are no part of the revival it- 
self, but the above are the essential elements 
of all genuine revivals. All observers have 
seen men come forward and confess their 
crimes, and make restitution to those wliom 
they had iijjured ; the drunkard, the liar, the 
profane swearer, the sabbath breaker, -^nd the 



14 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

dishonest have reformed, and have a^fterwards 
conducted themselves as becometh a profession 
of godliness. These facts have been seen and 
read of all men ; and vs^here they exist, they 
may be regarded as the fruits of a genuine 
revival. That religious excitement 8.nd influ- 
ence which reforms the wicked and makes men 
better, is alone to be dignified with the name 
of a revival; and where we see such results, 
we may safely conclude a right influence pro- 
vails, for a bad influence is not likely to mak@ 
men better. 



SECTION II. 

Revivals of religion are in harmony with, the most en- 
light ened christian views of the divine character and 
attributes, and with God's visible providential dealings 
with men. 

As it is the object of this section to make it 
appear that revivals are in harmony with the 
character and economy of God, the end may 
be best attained by stating the question to be 
discussed in the form of an objection, and then 
giving it a clear and direct reply. 

One of the strongest objections against re- 
vivals, is that they are periodical, or occasional 
only. This is thought to be inconsistent with 
the common views entertained of the good- 
ness, omnipresence and unchangeableness of 
God. This objection is urged by diiTeient 
classes of persons, and essentially the same 
thing is presented in different forms, accord- 
ing to the degree of skepticism of those who 
urge the objection. We once found it stated 
in a book, in the following words : 

" The Bible teaches us, and Nature corro- 
borates the pleasing fact, that God is undevia- 



16 THK REVIVAL MANUAL. 

ting and unchanging in his providential deal- 
ings with men. He is to-day what he \va$ 
yesterday, and what he will be tomorrow 
what he will be forever. But these extraor 
dinary periodical commotions — if we admit 
they are, what they are said to be, the free 
and voluntary outpouring of the Holy Spirit 
— represent God as a sort of traveling Deity, 
who occasionally pays a short visit to certain 
towns and villages, with gracious and saving 
influences, and then again leaves them to their 
Qv/n destruction.'* 

This presents the whole objection in its full 
force, though it be in rather an unpolished 
style, and we will try to meet and answer it. 
The objection involves two points, viz : the 
unchangeableness of God, in himself; aud his 
implied changeableness in revivals of religion, 
which the writer supposes. We believe these 
points are both untenable, in the sense of ob- 
jections to revivals of religion. 

That God is unchangeable in a true, rational 
and Bible sense, we admit, and rest upon it as 
the only basis of religious security ; but the 
immutability of God, as understood by us, 
does not exclude all variety from the divine 
administration amid this changing world of 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 1? 

moral agents. But to meet the objection di- 
rectly we remark, 

1. It is not true that " God is undeviating 
and unchanging in his providential dealings 
vviJi men," in a sense which constitutes an 
objection against even periodical, or occasional 
revivals of religion. If the doctrine of the 
objection be correct, it must folio v/ that God 
deals the same with the sinner that he does 
with the saint ; that he will just as soon pour 
salvation and the blessed fulness of his Holy 
Spirit upon him that worships devils, as upon 
him that worships the Father in spirit and in 
truth. Nor is it possible for us to see how 
God can ever do anything for the salvation of 
sinners which he is not now doing, or ever 
save those whom he does not now save, if the 
objection under consideration be valid. That 
many men are not now saved is too plain to 
be denied ; take for the sake of the illustration, 
a deeply depraved sinner, one who appears 
now to be wholly abandoned to wickedness, 
and if he is ever to be saved he has got to be 
converted and changed, and God has got to 
deal with him differently from what he deals 
with him now. God does not save him now, 
and if '' the Bible teaches us that God is un- 



18 jHE rkvival manual. 

'Ranging in his providential dealings with 
man," how can it be made to appear that he 
will ever save him ? His salvation can never 
take place withont admitting a change in God's 
pr evidential dealings with him, of the same 
kind and to the same degree that is implied in 
a revival of religion. 

No one can fail to see that the objection 
supposes a kind of stereotype edition of God's 
dealings with, man, which 'will not admit of 
his doing anything for the salvation of sinners, 
which he is not doing now, and which he has 
not always been doing ; and the result is, 
those that are not now saved can never be 
saved, through the divine interposition, and 
are thrown upon their own resources, and ap- 
pear suspended between the alternatives of 
saving themselves, or never being saved. That 
God always deals with men upon the same un- 
changeable principles ot eternal rectitude, is 
admitted ; but these principles which never 
change, being the result of God's immutable 
nature, not only admit of, but absolutely re- 
quire a change in his dealings with men, ac- 
cording to the changes which may take place 
in their characters and conduct. 

2. It is not true that " the Bible teaches us 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL* 19 

that God is iindeviating and iincliangirig in his 
providential dealings with man." But where 
we ask does the Bible teach this doctrine ? Is 
it in the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy? Let 
the reader examine the whole chapter and see 
if he can find in it, that God is undeviating in 
his providential dealings. Is it found in 1st 
Chronicles, xxvi. 9? "And thou, Solomon 
my son, know thou the God of thy father, and 
serve him with a perfeet heart and with a wal- 
ling mind; if thou seek him, ho will be found 
of thee ; but if thou forsake him, he w^ill cast 
thee off forever." Is the doctrine of our author 
found in Isaiah, lix. 1, 2 J *' Behold, the 
Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot 
save; neither his ear heavy that it cannot 
hear : But your iniquities have separated be- 
tween you and your God, and your sins have 
hid his face from you that he will not hear." 
Is the doctrine of God's unchanging providen- 
tial dealings with men found in Hosea vi. 1.? 
" Come and let us return unto the Lord, for 
he hath torn and he w^ill heal us ; he hath 
smitten and he will bind us up." Is it found 
in Malachi, iii. 7.? "Return unto me, saith 
the Lord." Is it contained in v. 10? '-Bring 
ye all the tithes into the store-house, that 



20 TI-IE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

there may be meat in mine house, and prove 
me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if 
I will not open you the windows of heaven, 
and pour you out a blessing, that there shall 
not be room enough to receive it." These 
quotations most clear!}'- prove that the objec- 
tion has no foundation in the scriptures. 

3. It is not true that '' Nature corroborates 
the pleasing fact, that God is undeviating and 
unchanging in his providential dealings with 
man.*' And hov/ does nature corroborate 
this? Is it by yielding abundant harvests, 
and then repaying the labor of the husband- 
man with blight and famine ? Is it by giving 
us fruitfal showers one season, scorching and 
withering drought in another, and overflowing 
and destroying waters in a third ? Is it in the 
voice of the gentle zephyr that fans us with 
the yerj breath of health, perfumed with the 
rich odor of vernal flovvers, in the pestiferous 
wind, or the voice of the storm that howle 
amid the ravages of the angry elements? 

But we will not pursue this train of thought, 
for eYery one knows that God does deal differ- 
ently with diflerent persons and nations, and 
with the same persons and nations at ditferent 
times. 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 21 

4. It is not true that occasional, or even peri- 
odical revivals, represent God as changeable 
in any offensive sense, much less, '* as a sort 
of traveling Deity," as the objection affirms. 
This will be plain, if we attend to the follow- 
ing considerations : 

We believe that it is perfectly consistent 
with God's unchanging nature and principles 
to bring greater influences to bear upon the 
human mind at one time than at another. 
Taking man as he is, in view of his natural 
depravity, and the depraved associations in 
which he is placed, God, no doubt, does enough 
for each and all, to render thern without ex- 
cuse if they do not repent and obey him, — yet 
he doubtless brings greater influences to bear 
upon human miuds some times than at others, 
and for aught we know he brings more power- 
ful influences to bear upon some minds than 
he ever does upon other minds. Every sin- 
ner, who lives and dies a sinner, doubtless has 
seasons, during his life, when he feels his mind 
more deeply impressed with the subject of 
religion, and when stronger influences are 
brought to bear upon him, than at other times. 
This remark we will also apply to communi- 
ties, and say that God is no doubt pleased, at 



22 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

some times, to bring stronger religious influ- 
ences to bear upoii particular churches, neigh- 
borhoods and communities, than at other times, 
and all this, without supposing that he, at 
any time, leaves them so destitute of light and 
moral influence as to excuse them for not be* 
ing pious, or to render their damnation unjust 
if they perish in their sins. Now, if these 
things are so— and v/ho can deny them with 
his Bible before him? — are not revivals of re- 
ligion to be looked for, when we consider this 
feature of the divine administration, in con- 
nection with the known philosophy of the 
human mind? To say that men are not more 
likely to be converted and become pious under 
stronger religious influence, than under less 
religious influence, would be too absurd to be 
received by any person of common sense — it 
would be to say that influence is no influence ! 



SECTION III. 

ReTivals of Religion are in harmony ^ithtlie philosophy 
of the humc\n mind. 

Nothing can be more clearly demonstrated 
than that it is in perfect accordance with the 
known philosophy of the human mind, that 
revivals of religion should occur under the or- 
dinary religious influences, which God has 
3stablished to save men. Suppose then these 
influences to be calculated to result in indivi 
dual conversions, and still it will be more 
reasonable to expect the work to be done, as 
a general thing, during occasional seasons of 
revivals, than otherwise. Man is not only a 
creature of thought, but also a crea,ture of 
sympathy and feeling, and both his powers of 
thought and capability of sympathy and feel- 
ing, are mediums through which influences are 
brought to bear upon him for good or ill. If 
the fact that one person pursues a course of 
wickedness, exerts an influence over others, 
and is, in many instances, the cause of their 
pursuing a course of wickedness, which no one 
can doubt, is it not reasonable to suppose 



184 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

that the fact that one sinner repents and be- 
comes converted, should influence others to 
reform and seek God? Thus when one is 
converted and makes a public profession, oth- 
ers are influenced ; and as the number of con- 
verts is multiplied, the influence of example 
becomes stronger, and the revival increases in 
power. This kind of influence added to all 
the other influences under which sinners con- 
stantly live, considered in connection with the 
fact that God does pour out his Spirit at par- 
ticular seasons more than at other times, in 
our view, explains the whole phenomenon of 
revivals. 

To this view, we know of but one objection 
of any material weight, which we will now 
state, and attempt to answer. It is this ; If 
this be the philosophy of revivals, a revival 
once commenced, should continue, becoming 
deeper, and spreading wider, until it should 
encircle and convert the world. This would 
undoubtedly be the case, if there were no op 
posing ii flueiices, and if the whole world \\^as 
in a condition to b(' bj-oiight into a direct liuQ 
of svinpatliy with tlje iiiMiuiice of the j-evival. 
But there are several considerations vviiich 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 25 

may account for, and explain the fact that 
revivals cease after continuing for a time. 

1. It may be broken in upon by some ne\^ 
and adverse influence. Any influence which 
is suflicient to divert attention for a short 
time, may stop a revival, for the moment at- 
tention is diverted, the influence above descri- 
bed is lost, and the revival stoj)s. 

2. If a revival was not checked by some ad« 
verse influence, it would soon cease, as fire 
subsides when the fuel is exhausted, having 
done its work on all within the circle of its 
influence, of an age to be converted. Of 
course, as every generation needs to be con- 
verted, when a new class shall have arisen up, 
or shall have been introduced by ingress, there 
may be another revival 

3. A revival may stop from the fact, that 
all are converted who will yield, at a given 
time, to all these moral influences combined. 
As these influences operate upon man as upon 
a moral agent, who may and who does fre- 
quently resist them all, a revival must cease 
when all have been converted who will at thai 
time, and in that particular community, yield 
to such influences as have produced the revival. 

We believe some are wont to speak of con- 



26 THE KEVIV^AL MANUAL. 

stant revivals, cf having revivals all the time, 
of God*s v/illingness to revive his work at 
any time, and all the time, without realizing 
the full meaning of the language they employ. 
1. Any operation which shall be constant, 
unremitting, and unifori5i, would not be a re- 
vival, in the sense in which the term is used, 
when applied to a religious state or operation. 
That Christians should be faithful at all times, 
and under all circumstances, is admitted ; but 
that fidelity requires them to make all the 
s&me efforts, at all times, and under all cir- 
cumstances, is not admitted, and can never be 
proved. That Christians should grow in grace 
and in the knowledge of God, constantly and 
perpetually, is admitted, but that is not what 
is meant by a revival. By a revival is meant 
the quickening of those who have partially or 
wholly backslid, and the conversion of sin- 
ners ; not that regular growth in grace which 
is the duty and privilege of saints. God is 
v/iiling to revive his work at any time, if the 
appropriate means be used, but that he re- 
quires individual Christians and Churches ti. 
put forth all the same class of efforts, and to 
the same extent, at all times, that is required 
of them at some particular times, aud under 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 27 

some circumstances, is not admitted. That 
backsliders may- be reclaimed, and sinners be 
converted at any time, is admitted ; but that 
they are as likely to be, as under the influence 
of particular seasons, and special efforts, is 
not admitted, and cannot be 23roved. 

2. If every Christian would do his whole 
duty, at all times, and all sinners wonld re- 
pent immediately, and each child of man born 
into the world, believe in Jesus Christ with a 
hea,rt unto righteousness, so soon as they 
have sufficient mental capacity, there would 
be no room for what are now called revivals ; 
but this is not the state of things with which 
we have to do. If we will only look at things 
as they are, and consider the fact that men are 
subjects of influence, and that the repentance 
and conversion of one sinner exerts an influ- 
ence over the minds of others to induce them 
to repent, the mystery of revivals will disap- 
pear. Take the following as an illustration : 
One of the most interesting revivals, in which 
the writer ever participated, occurred on this 
wise, so far as human a,gency was concerned, 
and so far as the human eye could see. A 
young lady, some sixteen or seventeen years 
old, went to a quarterly meeting more than 



28 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

ten miles from her place of residence; she 
went as a mere passenger with a Methodist 
family that was going to the meeting, from her 
neighborhood ; but she became interested in 
the prayer-meeting on Saturday evening, went 
forward for prayers, and professed conversion. 
She returned home, and at once came in con- 
tact with her young associates, among whom 
she had been a leader. Of course there was a 
conflict of influence ; it was to be expected 
that she would relapse into her former care- 
lessness on the subject of religion, that they 
should be led to embrace religion, or they 
would have to break off their association. She 
openly and frankly told them what God had 
done for her, and entreated them to seek God 
as she had done, and to go with her. There 
v*^as more power in her words than in many 
learned jet cold-hearted sermons, and it took 
efi^ect, and neaurly the whole neigliborliood 
turned from the vanities of the world, to seek 
the living Godj before the revival closed wliiei) 
resulted from so humble an instrumentalitv 
These converts were made better ; they for 
sook sin and turned to the practice of religion, 
The end of all religious efforts was accom- 
plished, which is to reform men and make 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 29 

them do their duties to God and man. This 
was a revival, and in view of it several que- 
ries may be raised. First, could the same 
amount of good have been secured in that 
community, in the use of any ordinary means, 
without what is called a revival ? We think 
not. So many persons could not have been 
persuaded to forsake sin and betake them- 
selves to prayer, and all the duties of religion, 
without the revival, or v/ithout producing 
essentially the state of things which constitu- 
ted the revival. Secondly, v/as it not the duty 
of the minister having charge of souls in that 
place, to turn the influence of the circumstan- 
ces nam.ed above, lo the best ciccount, so as 
to reclaim as many sinners as iDOSsibie? Was 
it right, and would not the impulse of a pious 
heart lead him to embue his sermons with the 
influence that pervaded the community, and 
to hold extra meetings, and so manage them 
as to secure the reformation of as many as 
possible? If these questions be ansv/ered in 
the affirmative, we have all the parapharnalia 
of a revival. If they be answered in tbo 
negative, v/e have a question to ask the objec- 
tor. How v/ould a minister answer m the 
day of judgment, for the souls committed to 



30 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

i 

his charge, who should neglect such an oppor- 
tunity to reclaim sinners? He might hare 
cast his influence against it, and preyented 
tlie spread of the influence proceeding from 
the conversion of the young lady, and thereby 
prevented the revival, in which case those 
souls would not have turned from sin. As it 
was, several of them died within a few years, 
in full assurance of a glorious immortalityo 
The presumption is that but for the revival, 
they would have lived and died in sin, and the 
minister having prevented, or failed to secure 
their reformation by preventing the revival, 
how could he account for those souls in the 
day of retribution? Infidels, and Universa- 
iists, who believe in no day of judgment, and 
no future punishment, can answer this ques- 
tion consistently with their own theories; but 
those who profess to believe in the doctrine 
of a heaven and a hell after death, and that 
man's destiny to the one or the other, depends 
upon the fact of his being or not being re- 
formed in this world, can never answer, coa- 
si^^tently with their professed faith. 

3. It is necessary for those who would be 
successful in promoting revivals to understand 
tie philosophy of the mind, that they may 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 31 

know how to apply the influences that contro] 
it. This will enable them to repel those in 
fluences which are opposed to revivals, and 
give force to those which promote them. 

To know how to promote revivals, it is 
necessary to know what influences stand op- 
posed to the truth, and how those influences 
are to be resisted, removed, or overcome. 
Truth is stronger than error, and Vv^ill triumph 
over it, if the conflict be on equal ground. 
*' The carnal mind is enmity against God,'' and 
hence takes sides with error, but still truth 
possesses power suflicient to subdue the heart 
to God, if the mind can be held under its light 
and power even for a short time. The suc- 
cess of error lies in its engaging the mind in 
so many forms, and so occupying the atten- 
tion of the sinner that he has no time to think 
of the truth, and of its claims upon him. If 
sinners could be kept thinking about the truth, 
of its claims upon them, of sin, its enormity, 
of the necessity of being saved from it, and 
of their future destiny, they would repent and 
submit to God. Error exerts its greatest 
power over the mind by diverting its attention 
from the truth, and preventing its being occu* 
pied with religious thoughts. This explaiiva 



'62 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

the reason v/hy so much good preaching is 
apparently lost. The multitude listen to mov- 
ing sermons on the Sabbath day, and many 
hearts are impressed, and many desires for 
religion awakened, but so soon as the Sab- 
bath is ended, they plunge into the cares of 
the world, or seek relief from the serious im- 
pressions that disturb them, amid the vain 
amusements that the world presents on every 
side, calculated to drown serious thoughts, 
and before another Sabbath arrives, all the 
impressions received in the sanctuary are lost. 
To overcome this difficulty, an impression 
must be ma,de so deep as to render it abiding, 
or the mind must be held to the contempla- 
tion of religious truth, until it becomes so far 
a habit that it can resist the assaults of oppo- 
site influences. This principle in the philo- 
sophy of the human mind is understood and 
applied on all subjects except religion, and 
why should it be overlooked here? Who does 
not know that a fright may so impress the 
mind as to leave its effects as lasting as life? 
So the sudden reception of Tastly important 
iiews, good or bad, will make an impression 
Oil the mind v/hich v/ill require days, weeks, 
or months to efface, and which ma,y be pn 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 33 

manent. Now, suppose the claims of God be 
presented to the understanding and conscience, 
in the light of the truth applied by the Holy 
Spirit, and is there anything unphilosophical 
or unreasonable in supposing that an impres- 
sion can be made equally deep and lasting I 

Suppose the light of divine truth that is 
brought to bear upon the mind be less in- 
lense ; but suppose the mind to be held to the 
contemplation of that truth, and the same 
general result will be arrived at in the end. It 
is only by diverting their attention from the 
truth that sinners can live in sin with any 
degree of ease ; hence if any method can be 
devised to arrest the attention of sinners, and 
hold their attention to a contemplation of sin,, 
ivs guilt, the claims of God, and the destiny 
of the soul, their reformation will be probable, 
'^o say the least. 

What remains is to apply these principles 
to the subject of revivals. Here we find one 
strong reason why the conversion of one per- 
son leads to the conversion of others, and 
why the influfsice of a revival increases with 
the number oi' its subjects. The resrson i^- it 
bccomss the subjeco ot thought which hold? 
the mli^d tc thtr eonte^^plcitioii of religion. 



34 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

An individual in a given circle is converted 
and the attention of the whole circle is ar 
rested, and witli some the thinking may be so 
intense as to divert attention from the other 
subjects of thought which have occupied tho 
rniiid, and repentance and submission to God 
is the result. As the number of converts in- 
crease, the revival becomes more and more a 
subject of absorbing religious thought, which 
increases in its influence and power. 

The view we have taken a.bove, also throws 
light on the subject of protracted meetings. 
They have been looked upon by some as a 
sort of human machine, for doing the work 
which belongs to the Holy Ghost to do. This 
is a false view. It is not the fault of the Holy 
Ghost that there is not a revival, or that sin- 
ners are not converted ; sinners are so occu- 
pied with other matters as to grieve the Spirit, 
and prevent the action of its renewing power 
upon the heart. We will then at a convenient 
season, hold a protracted meeting ; and what 
is the object? It is not to do the work of 
the Holy Uhost, but to call the attention of 
christians and sinners to the subject of reli- 
gion, and to hold their attention there for a 
series of days, until they become so impressed 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL, 35 

with religious thoughts as to become proper 
subjects of the renewing power of the Holy 
Ghost. A protracted meeting is an attempt 
to set a community to thinking about religion 
for a number of days in succession, and where 
this can be effectually done, by any process, 
a revival will be the result 



SECTION IV. 



• 



Revivals ot religion, as they transpire and are conducted 
at the present age, have a sufficient Scriptural war- 
rant to justify christians in promoting them. 

It is well understood that the position 
taken in the title to this section, conflicts 
with the honest prejudices of many very good 
people. It has often been objected to revi- 
vals, and to protracted meetings in particular, 
that they are unscriptural. We do not ex- 
pect to be able to remove this prejudice en- 
tirely, in every case, but as we are confident 
that it is the result of education, which has 
prevented a due appreciation of the claim of 
revivals to a scriptural warrant, so we trust 
that we shall at least soften the prejudice of 
all such as will have patience to read, and 
candor to consider what follows. 

We admit that there is no text which says, 
in so many words, that each church must hold 
a protracted meeting every winter, nor yec 
that there shall be, or ought to be, an occa- 
sional revival in each church. Still, after 
these admissions, we insist that neithei pri2«« 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 37 

tracted meetings or revivals are unscriptiiral , 
yea, more, we insist that they have sufficient 
scriptural warrant to exempt them from ob- 
jection on this ground. A protracted meeting 
is no more than the devotion of several days 
in succession to religious meetings. Is there 
any objection founded in scripture, against^ 
devoting a number of days in succession, on 
the part of a church or community, to preach- 
ing and prayer? If the objection be to the 
manner in which they are conducted, the ob- 
jection itself admits that they may be right if 
rightly conducted. The manner may some- 
times be objectionable, but this we do not pro- 
pose to examine at this point, but only attend 
-to the fact of the propriety or impropriety, 
right or wrong, of protracted meetings in 
themselves. The objection is simply to a 
meeting continued for several days in succes- 
sion. Now though there may be no express 
warrant for just such meetings, yet essentially 
the same thing has been practiced in all ages. 
The Jews held three protracted meetings 
each year called feasts, the Passover, the feast 
of Pentecost, and the feast of Tabernacles. 
There can be do doubt that the early chris- 
tians held daily meetings, as the following 



38 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

scriptures most clearly show : " These all 
continued with one accord in prayer and sup- 
plication, with the women, and Mary the 
mother of Jesus, and with his brethren." — 
Acts i. 14. "And they, continuing daily with 
one accord in the temple, and breaking bread 
from house to house, did eat their meat with 
gladness and singleness of heart, praising God^ 
and having favor v/ith all the people. And 
the Lord added to the church daily such as 
should be saved." — Chap, ii, 46, 47. ''And 
so were the churches established in the 
faith, and increased in number daily." — Chap. 
xvi. 5. 

These scriptures certainly prove that daily 
meetings were held by the first christians; 
and if so, it cannot be objectionable for chur- 
ches to hold meetings for a number of days in 
succession, at a season when they can attend 
to it without infringing upon other claims. 
But it may be that the objection is to the 
revivals that are sometimes tlie apparent re- 
sult of protracted meetings, rather than to 
the simple fact of having a meeting upon a 
number of days in succession. Let us then 
look at this question in the light of the scrip- 
tures. In the eighth chapter of Nehemiah, 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. ^\1 

we have an account of a protracted meeting 
and a great revival, as follows . " And all the 
people gathered themselves together as one 
man into the street that was before the water- 
gate; and they spake unto Ezra, the scribe, 
to bring the book of the law of Moses, which 
the Lord had commanded to Israel. And 
Ezra, the priest, brought the law before the 
congregation both of men and women, and all 
that could hear with understanding, upon the 
first day of the seventh month; and read 
therein before the street that was before the 
water-gate from the morning until mid-day, 
before the men and the women, and those that 
could understand ; and the ears of all the 
people were attentive unto the book of the 
law. And Ezra, the scribe, stood upon a pul- 
pit of wood, which they had made for the pur- 
pose ; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and 
Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, 
and Masseiah, on his right hand ; and on his 
left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, 
and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and 
Meshullam. And Ezra opened the book in 
the sight of all the people ; (for he was above 
ail the people ;) and when he opened it, all 
tte people stood up : and Ezra blessed the 



40 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

Lord, the great God. And all the people an- 
swered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their 
hands ; and they bowed their heads, and wor- 
shipped the Lord with their faces to the 
ground. So the people went forth, and brought 
them, and made themselves booths, every one 
upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, 
and in the courts of the house of God, and in 
the street of the water gate of Ephraim. And 
all the congregation of them that were come 
again out of the captivity made booths, and 
sat under the booths ; for since the days of 
Joshua, the son of Nun, unto that day, hetd 
not the children of Israel done so, and there 
was very great gladness. Also day by day, 
from the first day unto the last day, he read 
in the book of the law of God, and they kept 
the feast seven days ; and on the eighth day 
was a solemn assembly, according unto the 
manne-r. Now in the twenty and fourth day 
of this month the children of Israel were as- 
sembled with fasting, and with sackcloths, and 
earth upon them. And the seed of Israel 
separated themselves from all strangers ; and 
stood and confessed their sins, and the iniqui- 
ties of their fathers. And they stood up in 
their place, and read in the book of the law 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 4l 

of th(. Lord their God one fourth part of the 
day; and another fourth part they confessed, 
and worshipped the Lord their God." 

This was certainly both a protracted meet- 
ing, and a revival. Another protracted meet- 
ing and revival is recorded, Acts viii. 5, &c. 

'' Then Philip went down to the city of Sa- 
maria, and preached Christ unto them. And 
the people with one accord gave heed unto 
those things which Philip spake, hearing and 
seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean 
spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of 
many that were possessed with them : and 
many taken with palsies, and that were lame, 
were healed. And there was great joy iu 
that city. Then Simon himself believed also ; 
and when he was baptized, he continued with 
Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles 
and signs which were done. Now Vv^heu the 
apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that 
Samaria had received the word of God, they 
sent unto them Peter and John : Who, when 
they were come down, prayed for them that 
they might receive the Holy Ghost." 

There are other texts which might be quo- 
ted, but the above are sufficient to show that 
no objection can be maintained against prO' 



42 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

traded meeting and revivals, on the ground 
that they are unscriptural. 

We will close this view of the subject with 
two remarks, designed to sustain our own side 
of the question : 

1. The duty of making extra and special 
efforts for the promotion of the work of God, 
a^ times and seasons favor it, is clearly taught 
in the scriptures. Take the following language: 

" For unto whomsoever much is given, of 
him shall be much required; and to whom 
men have committed much, of him they will 
ask the more." 

'' Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye 
fe'teadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in 
the work of the Lord." 

" As we have therefore opportunity, let us 
do good unto all men, especially unto them 
who are of the household of faith." 

Nothing is plainer than that individuals and 
churches, have greater opportunities at some 
seasons than at others. At a leisure season, 
they can devote more time to religious meet- 
ings than in harvest time. They are required 
to do at all times, all they can, consistently 
with other claims. 

2. The promises of God authorise us to 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. ^3 

look for results proportioned to the effoi-ts 
we put forth, through faith in his name. Take 
the following as a specimen : 

" Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, 
that there may be meat in my house, and prove 
me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if 
I will not open you the windows of heaven, 
and pour you out a blessing, that there shall 
not be room enough to receive it." — Mai. iii, 10. 

*' Submit yourselves therefore to God. Re- 
sist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw 
nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. 
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify 
yourhearts, ye double minded." — James iv, 7,8. 

" The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous 
man availeth much. Elias was a man subject 
to like passions as we are, and he prayed 
earnestly that it might not rain ; audit rained 
not on the earth by the space of three years 
and six months. And he prayed again, and 
tke heaven gave rain, and thcj earth brought 
forth her fruit. Brethren, if any of you do 
err from the truth, and one cojivert him ; let 
him know, that he which converteth the sin- 
ner from the error of his way shall save a soul 
from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." 
— James v, 16-20. 



SECTION v.. 

The incidents of revivals, such as excitement, extrava- 
gance, and the subsequent apostacy of some of the 
converts, constitute no objection to revivals. 

I. The excitement and extravagance of 
revivals do not constitute a valid objection to 
revivals, but only to the manner of conduct- 
ing them, so far as any objection exists. It 
will be found, however, that most that is ob- 
jected to has its foundation in true philoso- 
phy, and is an essential element of a true and 
deep work of God. 

1. "We insist that there is excitement, ne« 
cessarily connected with the repentance an^ 
conversion of sinners. All scriptural exam- 
ples of repentance and reformation, indicate 
excitement. A few iilustrcitions must answer. 
Jer. 1, 5: *'In those days, and in that time, 
saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall 
come, they and the children of Judah together, 
going and weeping ; they shall go and seek the 
Lord their God." Again, can any one who 
knows any thing of the philosophy of the hu- 
man mind, believe that there was not a great 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL, 45 

rxcitement under John's preaching, as record- 
ed Matt, iii, 1-12? "Then went cut to him 
Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the regie!] 
round about Jordan, and were baptized in 
Jordan confessing their sins." The same cir- 
cumstances could not transpire at this day, 
and in this land, without a great excitement. 
Was not the Publican excited, when he smote 
upon his breast, and said, '* God be merciful 
to me a sinner?" Was not the Jailor excited 
when he cried out, " What shall I do to be 
saved?" Was not the whole multitude exci- 
ted, when they were pricked in the heart, and 
cried, *' What shall we do?" — Acts ii, 37. 
Many other instances might be given, but the 
above are sufficient. Indeed^ there is no gen- 
uine repentance or conversion without more 
or less excitement, and it is not confined even 
to earth, for " there is joy in the presence of 
the angels of God, over one sinner that re- 
penteth." 

2. The degree of this excitement, and the 
manner in which it develops itself, depends 
upon the mental constitution, nervous tem^ 
perament, the influence of education, and de- 
gree of intelligence. There ara dilFerent ope^ 
rations, but the same spirit. Can any one 



46 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

doubt that equally good men have different 
exercises, and are moved in different degrees, 
under the same exhibition of truth and the 
same measure of the Spirit? Such a position 
would betray great ignorance of human na- 
ture. 

Cry in the ears of two sleeping individuals, 
that their house is on fire, and let them start 
up under the glare of the increasing flame, 
and they will not both act alike ; one may 
appear as much again excited as the other. 
So you may cry in the ears of two sinners, 
that their souls are in danger, and suppose 
them both to take the alarm, and you will see 
as much difference in their manner under the 
influence of repentance, as in the two persons 
roused by the alarm of fire. Religion does 
not merge the mental differences that exist 
among men, and hence, there always will be 
as great a difference in the religious excite- 
ment which different persons exhibit, as in the 
excitement arising from any other cause. At 
the sight of sudden and great danger, one per- 
son shrieks, another is struck dumb, a third 
swoons, and a forirth is roused to deeds of 
noble daring, and exhibits unwonted mental 
and physical power ; and the same difference 



THE KEVIVAL MANUAL. 47 

in degree must be expected under religious ex- 
citement, for religious truth and the Holy 
Spirit, have the same elements of the human 
soul to act upon, involving all of the same 
principles of mental philosophy. In the light 
of this philosophy, we are to explain all the 
religious phenomena which we witness in re- 
vivals or elsewhere. Nor does this call in 
question the sincerity and the genuiaeness 
of the religion of those who. may even have 
undue and extravagant exercises. To illus- 
trate : Suppose you collect a company of 
friends and reveal to them the fact that their 
nearest friend on earth is dead, and some will 
receive it apparently unmoved, while others 
will shriek, and others faint. In like manner, 
present the claims of God's law, the turpitude 
of sin, and magnitude of their guilt, and let 
the light of the Spirit shine to give effect to 
the word, and an equal difference will be seen. 
Eeveal to the same company that they are all 
heirs to an immense fortune, and some will 
laugh, and some will cry, some will jump up 
and clap their hands, and others will say noth- 
ing, but look wonderfully astonished. So re- 
veal to them the facts of a glorious resurrec- 
tion, a triumphant ascension and an immortal 



48 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

existence, a crown and a song amid the glories 
of the throne of God, and let the Spirit truly 
impress these truths upon the mind, and the 
same different degrees of excitement will be 
seen. Will any one pretend to say that the 
emotions produced by the announcement of 
the death of a friend, or the receipt of an es- 
tate, are unreal or feigned? Certainly not. 
Well, are the emotions produced by the pre- 
sentation of the claims and threatenings of 
the divine law, or the prospect of heaven, 
when those subjects are impressed upon the 
heart by the Holy Spirit, any less real? To 
come to such a conclusion, we must first shut 
our eyes to the philosophy of the human mind, 
which retains all its susceptibilities of im- 
pression, feeling and emotion, when acted 
upon by a religious cause, which it has w^hen 
acted upon by any other cause. 

3. The extravagancies which sometimes 
manifest themselves in revivals, constitute no 
objection against revivals, but only argue a 
weakness on the part of those who exhibit 
them. It is not to be disguised that objec- 
tionable expressions are often heard, and un- 
profitable exercises often witnessed in revi- 
vals ; but they are not the revival, nor are 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 49 

ihey the necessary results of a reviral. Such 
things often transpire where there is no re- 
vival in progress, on the one hand, while on 
the other, revivals often transpire without 
any of these objectionable developments. We 
have seen ministers rant and rave in the pul- 
pit, but we would not therefore condemn the 
institution of the ministry and the practice 
of preaching as an evil. Nor would we con- 
demn revivals because there are sometimes 
persons engaged in them, who transcend the 
bounds of propriety — we would only labor to 
correct the evil. 

On the communication to Congress, m Phil- 
adelphia, of the news of Burgoyne's surren- 
der, it is said that the doorkeeper actually 
died of joy. Would you therefore never ven- 
ture to tell good news? A better way would 
be to make all necessary communications, 
whether good or ill, being careful to do it in 
such a manner as appears best calculated to 
secure the end aimed at, with as little inciden- 
tal evil as possible, which sometimes results 
from human weakness. Much depends on the 
management of revivals, and ministers, instead 
of opposing them, should promote them, and 



50 THE HEVIVAL MANUAL. 

SO managing as to give them full success, with 
as few objectionable features as possible. 

Much of what is involved in this subject, 
is matter of taste, and cannot be made the 
subject of specific rule. It is not possible 
that all should be pleased in every particular. 
What one class of Methodists would considei 
perfectly orderly, some good PresbyteriaK 
brethren, equally pious, "would consider disor- 
der, bordering on confusion. What these good 
Presbyterian brethren vrould consider perfect 
order, some good Episcopalians would regard 
as a breach of all decorum. It is not for us 
to say that there are not pious persons found 
in the two extremes, as well as at all inter- 
mediate points. *' There are diversities of 
operations, but it ir the same God which work* 
eth all in all." — 1 Cor. xii, 6. 

II. The assertion that revival converts fall 
away, cannot fail to vanish, as an objectioE 
to revivals, on slight examination. The fad 
that converts sometimes fall away, cannot be 
denied, but may be accounted for without im* 
peaching the genuineness of revivals. 

1. The same evil has existed in all ages of 
the Church, even under the superintendence 
of the apostles. The writings of the apos- 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 51 

tics clearly show that backsliding was a com- 
mon evil in their time. Were their revivals 
spurious? 

2. The reason why protracted meeting and 
revival converts are seen to fall away, is, 
there are no other converts to fall away. 
Very few, comparatively, have been converted 
except at protracted meetings and in what are 
called revivals. This remark may not be ap- 
preciated by those v/ho hold to a birth-right 
Christianity and membership in the Church, 
but those who hold the doctrine of a change 
of heart must feel its force. A large portion 
of the members of the churches, and many of 
the most able ministers, have been brought in 
during protractedmeetings and revival seasons. 

3. I'he reason why so many fall away is to 
be sought for in the neglect of the Church, 
rather than in the fact that they are converted 
in revivals. Ministers and older Christians 
are not faithful enough, and do not watch over 
converts with sufficient solicitude and tender- 
ness to preserve them alive. The churches 
are too cold and worldly-minded to be any 
pattern for, or help to converts. The only 
safe way for converts is, not only to retain 
their first love, but to progress and *'grow in 



52 THE REVIVAL MANUAL- 

grace and in the knowledge of th^. uord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ," so as not to be the 
largest when they are born that they ever are. 
But to do this, they must take the lead and 
go ahead of the older members of the flock, 
which is unnatural ; they look to old profes- 
sors, and think it will answer to be as faithful 
as they are, and thus they neglect duty, grow 
cold, become formal, and too many fall en- 
tirely; and then cold hearted and formal pro- 
fessors will lay it to revivals and protracted 
meetings. 



SECTION VI. 

The importance of Revivals. 

There are various reasons which might be 
urged why revivals are important to the 
church, to the cause of religion, and the best 
interests of the world. If the conversions 
which transpire in revivals are genuine, and 
sinners are really reclaimed from sin, in heart 
and life, then are revivals as important as is 
the advancement of the kingdom of God. 
That revivals are promotive of the work of 
God ; that they are the work of God, and that 
souls are saved through their instrumentality, 
who would otherwise perish, so far as human 
calculations can reach, has probably been suf- 
ficiently proved to justify us in taking this 
main point for granted in vv-hat remains to be 
said. An application of the principles already 
established is what is necessary to finish this 
part of our work ; and this application, if 
properly made, will not fail to impress the 
reader with the importance of revivals. 



54 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

1. Nearly all the souls that profess experi* 
mental religion have been converted during 
revival seasons, and may be regarded as their 
legitimate fruit. We do not say that there 
are no true christians who are not the fruit of 
revivals, so called; there are doubtless many 
scattered throughout the diiferent churches 
and congregations, but we say that a very 
large portion of the present ministers of the 
gospel, and far the greatest number of the liv- 
ing, working christians, vv^ere first brought to 
Christ during revival scenes. This points 
Out revivals as God's method of working in 
this age and during these times, and whatever 
is God's method of working must be impor- 
tant. The only point that will or can be dis- 
puted here, is the remark above, that the 
greatest portion of living, working christians, 
were brought to Christ during revival seasons. 
That this is true of revival churches, such 
churches as believe in and have been favored 
with revivals, we think cannot be successfully 
disputed. To such, therefore, revivals must 
appear important, if not essential to their 
continued existence and spiritual life and pros- 
perity. But it will be said that many of the 
largest and most flourishing churches, not 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 55 

only have never had revivals, but have not 
believed in them, and have opposed them. 
Abating any high moral and spiritual sense 
which some may attach to the word, flourish* 
ing, we admit all this, but it does not disprove 
the importance of revivals. There are in 
these same large and flourishing anti-revival 
churches many who are not living, working 
christians. We will not be so uncharitable as 
to say that they are churches of sinners and 
hypocrites, but we will make a remark which, 
if well founded, will sustain our position in 
relation to the importance of revivals. We 
say, therefore, 

2. Those churches which have had no revi* 
vals, and which have even thrown their influ* 
ence against revivals, have often shared largely 
in the benefits of the revivals promoted by 
others. There have been frequent instances 
in which the children and immediate friends 
of the members of those churches who dis- 
countenance revivals, have beer: brought with* 
in their influence, and have been converted. 
At first they would do what they could to 
prevent their going to the revival meetings, 
would represent their proceedings as disor* 
deily, their conversions as the result of ani* 



56 THE 'revival manual. 

mal excitement, and their devotion as wild- 
fire ; but when this would succeed no longer, 
—when their children, their friends, their 
neighbors, and members of their congregation, 
were brought under the influence of the revi- 
val and converted, they changed their tone, 
and set themselves at work to secure them to 
their own church and communion, and have 
often been successful. Though they oppose 
revivals, tht-y do not hesitate to gather all 
the fruit of revivals within their reach, and 
rejoice to receive into church fellowshij) those 
who are converted at revival meetings, on con- 
fession of the faith and hope there obtained. 
This proves one of two things ; either that 
they believe revival conversions are sound, or 
else they are willing to receive into their 
churches, persons who are either deceived or 
make false pretensions. Be this as it may, 
the fact cannot be denied, that many members 
of anti- revival churches were converted in 
revivals, and constitute much of the life found 
in those communities. This view much en- 
hances the importance of revivals, for if the 
spiritual life and energy of revival churches 
depends upon these revivals, and much of the 
life and religious energy of those who do not 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 57 

promote revivals, be derived from the same 
source, they are at once presented in an im- 
portant point of light. There is one other 
aspect of this subject worthy of notice. No 
one can doubt that churches which havenevei 
been brought under the influence of the revi- 
val spirit, have been more or less impressed, 
and excited to zeal and good works, by tho 
revivals that have prevailed around them. 
Ministers have often been driven to hold extra 
meetings, and to preach more frequently and 
earnestly to hold their congregations, lest they 
should be drawn away by the attractions ol 
the revivals that have prevailed around them. 
But for these influences, who can tell how 
formal and dead churches would have become? 
3. If revivals of religion are genuine, as 
we have argued, and if they indicate God's 
method of working in these latter days, they 
are important, simply as a divinely favored 
instrumentality. It is only by denying that 
thev are of God, that any one can escape the 
conviction that it is through their increase in 
number and power, that God will yet subdue 
this rebellious world to himself, and fill it 
with his knowledge and glory. Something 
must be done more than has been done, and 



68 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

even more rapidly than any thing that is now 
in process ol being done, if the latter days of 
the church are to be more bright and glorious 
than the present, or than those that have pre- 
ceded. Are we to give up all hope of a bright- 
er day, or are we to yet realize a fulfilment 
of those predictions which appear to promote 
more of the knowledge and glory of God than 
any age of the world has yet seen? If some- 
thing more general and glorious is yet to be 
achieved in the cause of the world's salvation, 
it must be by some new dispensation, or it 
must be by an increase of what is already in 
operation. We do not feel that we are au- 
thorized to look for a new dispensation, and 
hence must look to the present agencies, by 
an increased action, to accomplish whatever 
improvement is to be hoped for, and we see 
not how this is to be done only by promoting 
revivals of religion. If revivals are the work 
of God, if souls are really converted from the 
error of their Avays, and brought to Christ 
through their instrumentality, as has been 
shown, and if most of the visible work of 
God that has been accomplished, has been 
through the influence of revivals, they are 
distinctly pointed out as the mode in which 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 59 

God is pleased to work in this age and in 
these times, and here gleams out the hope of a 
brighter day, and here should be directed our 
energies, that we maybe co-workers with God, 
God has not promised to allow us to select 
our own time, and measures, and mode of 
working, and then to work with us, and crown 
our measures with success ; but he demands 
of us that we do his will, and work in the use 
of the means he is pleased to own and bless. 
To know what his will is, that we may be co- 
workers with him, we must not only search 
his word, but watch the indications of his 
Providence, and the movings of his spirit ; and 
where we see God is working, there should 
we be ready to work; and such measures as 
we see God own and bless, we should make 
our measures for the time being, so long at 
least as we are convinced that God is in them. 
Some appear as though they supposed the 
Holy Ghost bound to operate in accordance 
with their notions of propriety, and unless he 
does, they will stand aside and find fault with 
the operation. Instead of being led by t'Ue 
Spirit, do not such persons presume to dictate 
to the Holy Ghost, how, in the use of what 
means, and under what circumstances, he shall 



60 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

do his work? We know they do not design 
this, but is it not so in fact ? If squIs are 
really converted and reclaimed from sin 
through the instrumentality of revivals, more 
than in the use of other measures, those who 
object to them, and refuse to co-operate, are 
more particular in relation to measures, times 
and circumstances, than is the Holy Ghost, 
We know that this unfortunate position, in 
many c<ases at least, is the result of education, 
rather than of any defection of the heart, but 
still it is a difficulty to be overcome. Who 
can tell what would have been the result if 
no professors of religion had stood aloof from 
and opposed revivals? There has, perhaps, 
never been a revival in our country, to which 
some professed christian church in the imme- 
diate vicinity was not openly and publicly op- 
posed, and against which many church mem- 
bers and perhaps the minister, threw their 
decided personal influence. Can any one tell 
how many this adverse influence kept out of 
the kingdom of God? Can any one tell how 
much longer the revival would have continued, 
and how much wider it would have spread, 
but for these influences? It may have been 
hemmed in by these anti-revival influences. 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 61 

like fire around which a trench is dug to pre- 
vent its spreading. But for such influences 
the revivals that haye transpired might hare 
spread over the nation and the face of the 
world. It should be enough for the true, 
bumble, obedient christian to know how, and 
in the use of what means God is pleased to 
work. And knowing this, he should not stop 
to confer with flesh and blood, but enter him- 
self into the work with all his heart and mind. 
If all christians, and all christian ministers, 
would unite in the one great work of promo- 
ting revivals ; though they might differ in 
their forms and modes, yet imbibing the same 
revival spirit, and aiming at essentialJy the 
same results, revivals would at once become 
more general, their influence would be wider 
difl'used through the professed christian church, 
and develop greater displays of the majesty 
and power of God's saving grace. If the 
world shall ever be converted, it will be by a 
general difl'usion of the revival spirit. This 
last thought, if correct, makes revivals as 
important as the conversion of the world. 



SECTION VII. 

The Commencement of RevivalSj with directions for 
promoting them. 

We now enter upon the more practical, and 
consequently, the more difficult part of the 
subject. It is not easy to give directions, so 
as to make them available to the greatest num- 
ber of minds, amid the almost endless variety 
and wide extremes of mental constitutions 
with which a work like the present has to 
deal; and it is certainly no less difficult to 
take up and usefully apply the best conceived 
and most clearly expressed rules, amid the 
great variety of circumstances in which revi- 
valists may be called to act. General direc- 
tions only can be given with any profit, in the 
application of which sound judgment, discre- 
tion, aided by experience, is necessary ; the 
want of which no particularity of rules can 
supply. So much depends upon the skill, tem- 
per, and spirit of a person who executes a 
given direction, that vastly diiFerent results 
will attend the application of the same rules 
by different hands. Though general directions 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 63 

only can be profitably given, jet they may be 
made to bear specifically on the following 
points, viz : The commencement, the manage- 
ment during the progress, and the close of 
revivals. The first of these only will be 
treated in this section. 

The commencement of revivals is certainly 
an interesting and important point. To know 
how to begin a revival ; that is, to know how 
to put ourselves in a position, and how to 
direct our efforts, so as to be the honored in- 
strument, under God, of commencing a revival, 
is more than to found a civil empire ; and yet 
what to the human eye is a trifling act or cir- 
cumstance, is often the means of the com- 
mencement of a powerful revival. A few il- 
lustrations follow. The commencements of 
revivals are as various as are the incidents of 
christian experience. There is a general same- 
ness in christian experience, and yet there are 
no two christians who can relate precisely the 
same experience ; so it is with revivals. 

Sometimes a revival breaks out in the midst 
of the most unpropitious circumstances, over- 
coming opposing influences, and making ob- 
servers, as well as participants, feel that it is 
not of man but of God ; that man did not be- 



64 THE REVIVAL MANUAL, 

gin it, that man does not carry it on, and that 

man cannot stop it. Yet in these cases there 
are human agencies employed, and doubtless 
some imperceived human instrumentality, un- 
der the divine blessing, is concerned in the 
commencement of the work. Other revivals 
can be traced in their origin to some particular 
cause, some marked death, some special effort, 
some remarkable sermon, or some special in- 
terest and grace first felt in prayer on the part 
of a few. Sometimes the Spirit will appear 
to move upon the mind of an individual in a 
church, and from him will go forth the influ- 
ence of a great revival. An illustration is 
given on page 27. The following is another 
illustration. 

Some years ago, two brethren of the same 
church met in the street. One said to the 
other, "L ■, how do you feel on the sub- 
ject of religion?" The earnestness and so- 
lemnity of his manner affected him. He paused 
a moment, and said he v^^as ashamed of him- 
self, and desired to repent. Mr. E. said, '• I 
have made up my mind to labor for Christ ; I 
will give my time to the work, if it makes me 
poor as Lazarus." Tears stood in his eyes. 
They pledged themselves to each other, and 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 65 

commenced in solemn earnest. Soon that 
church was blessed with a glorious work of 
grace. 

A brother in the ministry, with a few of the 
members of his church, had been to a camp- 
meeting, at which their minds had been some- 
what stirred, but as not a single unconverted 
member of the congregation had been to the 
meeting the idea of a revival was not in their 
minds. On Sabbath evening after their return 
from the meeting, the brother enjoyed unusual 
liberty in preaching, and was so moved at the 
close of his sermon, that he invited those who 
were resolved to seek religion to rise up. The 
evening was short and well spent at the close 
of the sermon, and he prefaced his invitation 
by stating that he would not ask any one for- 
ward for prayer that evening, but that if there 
were any present who desired religion, he 
requested them to rise up. To his great sur- 
prise, he no sooner gave the invitation than 
fifteen were upon their feet. He remarked 
that he felt a solemn duty resting upon him to 
take back what he had said, that he would not 
invite persons forward for prayers, and at once 
urged them to come forward, which they did. 
The result was, in a few weeks a hundred souls 



66 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

were converted. It is quite a supj^osable case 
that this revival might not have taken place 
but for the invitation that v>^as given by the 
minister that evenmg for those who desired 
religion to rise up. They were then in a state 
of mind to commit themselves, and but for the 
opportunity then given to make that commit- 
ment, their impressions might have worn off, 
so that at a future opportunity, they might 
have resisted a like invitation. 

The simple act of picking up a part of a 
leaf from a Bible is said to have been the 
cause of an extensive revival. A company oi 
revellers were assembled a.nd waiting over 
their mugs of ale for the arrival of their lea- 
der, who was always foremost in their mirth. 
At length he came, but was silent until they 
rallied him, when to their surprise he confess- 
ed his sin, and stated his purpose to reform, 
and exhorted them to join him in seeking God. 
A revival was the consequence. But what in- 
duced the leader of the party to take such a 
sudden and strange course. As stated, he had 
picked up part of a leaf of a Bible in the 
street, and reading it, its truth fastened upon 
his heart. How trifling in themselves were 
the incidents which led to that revival ? But 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 67 

fbr that leaf being torn from the Bible and 
thrown into the street, lie could not have 
picked it up, and had he not picked up that 
torn leaf containing the divine word, probably 
he would not have repented, his fellows would 
not have repented, and there would have been 
no revival. 

Eevivals often result from previously plan- 
ned and appointed efforts. The idea of hold- 
ing a series of meetings with the express de- 
sign and expectation of inducing a revival, has 
been treated in preceding sections, particularly 
in the third, but it is well to allude to it in 
this place. Suppose a minister should say to 
his flock, " Brethren, we are not doing all we 
can to work out our own salvation, and to 
bring sinners to Christ ; we are not all of us 
sufficiently consecrated to be suited to the 
work of God, should a revival begin, and we 
be called upon to enter into its spirit and 
work. Now is a favorable season, and let us 
devote a few days more especially to the ser- 
vice of God ; let us come together and confess 
our faults one to another, and pray together 
for the sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit 
upon ourselves, and for the conversion of our 
children and neighbors." The proposition is 



68 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

agreed to by the majority of the Church, and 
they meet and begin to confess, and pray, and 
beseech God to quicken them, and to have 
mercy upon souls around them. Now two 
questions will settle the matter. Firsts is it 
not right to do so ? Certainly it is. Secondly, 
is it not reasonable to expect a revival to re- 
sult from such measures ; and do not the pro- 
mises of God warrant us in expecting a revi- 
val ? Certainly we think they do. These two 
points being admitted, we have the ordinary 
and most proper way of the beginning of revi- 
vals explained. We have known many which 
commenced precisely as here described ; and 
when the measures have failed to produce a 
revival, it is reasonable to suppose that it was 
for want of sincerity, or union on the part of 
those engaged ; or for want of discretion and 
sound judgment on the part of those who con- 
ducted the measures. Such is human nature 
with which we have to deal, that the most 
clear truths on the most awfully important 
subjects, cannot be enforced with general suc- 
cess, when either the agent or the manner is 
objectionable to those upon whom the attempt 
is made. This prepares the way to lay down 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL, 6S 

a few rules to be observed in all attempts to 
produce or commence a revival, 

1. The agencies employed should be such 
as are reputable and acceptable to the com- 
munity. This remark is not made of the 
modes of proceeding, but of the persons em- 
ployed. Prejudices may exist against good 
men, and however unreasonable and unfounded 
they may be, while they exist, they will prove 
a barrier to their usefulness to the prejudiced 
party. Sinners are not likely to be benefitted 
by the labors of a minister against whom they 
entertain strong prejudices, . If they consent 
to hear them, their words are powerless for 
good, until such prejudice is first overcome, 
A minister would be unvtdse to commence an 
effort for a revival in a community v/here he 
knew that strong prejudices existed against 
him personally, or against his christian or 
ministerial character. His first v/ork v/culd 
be to remove such prejudice, and if he cannot 
do this he should seek some other field of la- 
bor. This is equally true of laymen who may 
be called to labor in any revival eifort, they 
should have the confidence of the community ; 
without it, their efforts will hinder rather than 
promote a revival. This rule, however, is not 



70 TBE BEVIVAIL MANUAL. 

to be applied to those prejudices which are 
clearly sectarian, and effect only the members 
of some oppo&ing religious organization in 
contradistinction from the rest of the commu* 
nity. This, to be sure, is an evil to be re- 
grettedy b^it should not deter faithful ministers 
and christians from doing their whole duty, 
and their efForts, put forth in a right spirit, 
may be yery successful amid the bitterest op« 
position of opposing sects and errorists. It 
is better if a minister can baye the confidence 
and sympathies of a whole community, but 
there are some communities, in which no man 
could preach the truth, and eyen employ the 
ordinary measures to produce a reyival with- 
out strong opposition, and perhaps from those 
who profess religion. Such opposition must 
be borne, it must be met and resisted, but in a 
true christian spirit. But where prejudice 
exists against the persons engaged, and espe- 
cially on the part of that particular portion 
of the community more immediately interested 
in the efforts to be made, it must be removed 
before success can be expected. If the preju- 
dice be \¥ell founded, a frank and full confes- 
sion of the wrong, will often not only remove 
it. but deeply affect the hearts of those who 



THE REVIVAL MaNUAI^ 71 

have been its subjects, and give additional 
power to any further efforts that may be made 
to benefit them and others. If the prejudice 
is without proper ground, proper inquiries and 
explanations, conducted in a right spirit, will 
generally remove it; and if it fails on the part 
of a few^ it will usually place the prejudiced 
persons in such a point of light, and exhibit 
the christian character of its object to such 
adrantage, as will render it comparatively 
harmless, if it does not furnish an occasion 
for magnifying the grace and power of God 
hy causing the wrath of man to praise him, 
and by restraining the remainder, 

2, The agencies employed must have confi- 
dence in each other, and be united among them- 
selves. Without this, no talents, zeal and 
efforts can prevail. There must be union and 
deep S3anpathy existing between the minister 
and the church. Peace and unity must also 
exist in the church, and the members must 
have mutual confidence in each other. A 
revival may commence where these do not 
exist, but it will not be by the conversion of sin- 
ners, but it will commence by the repentance 
confessions of professors ; the minister and 
church must first be revived. Where there is 



72 THE REVIVAL MANUAL, 

a want of confidence and union between the 
minister and the church, or between the in- 
dividual members of the church, there is but 
one way to commence an effort for a revival 
het the church come together with their min- 
ister, and pray and confess, and confess and 
pray, until they are themselves revived and 
in the proper frame of mind to work for God, 
and then go and talk to sinners and plead with 
them., and there will be a revival. This is 
scriptural, for we are commanded to confess 
our faults one to another. 

8. When special efforts are resolved upon, 
such as cannot be continued through the whole 
year, the most favorable season should be se- 
lected, when most time can be devoted to the 
work of God, and when there are the least 
necessary cares and other matters to divert 
attention. We know that God is able and 
willing to work at any time, but he proposes 
to work in the use of human instrumentalities, 
and it is known to all that men cannot devote 
an equal amount of effort to the work of God 
at all seasons ; and hence, that season should 
be selected for special efforts, when most time 
and effort can be bestowed. If God commen- 
ces a revival under the ordinary efforts that 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 73 

are made, we must be ready to enter into it, 
but still this is a different thing from select- 
ilig a time for making special efforts to pro- 
duce a revival, when there is none in progress. 
What wise ininister or church would select 
seed time or harvest in a farming community 
for such an effort? In some sections, on the 
Delaware and Susquehanna rivers, and some 
other places, a large portion of the people 
follow lumbering, and take their lumber down 
those rivers during the spring freshet, when 
most of the men are required to leave home. 
Would it be wise to appoint a pr-otracted 
effort to commence at the time the spring 
flood might be expected? Surely not. These 
illustrations are designed merely to show the 
importance of discriminating in favor of the 
most convenient seasons for special efforts ; to 
deny the propriety or necessity of such dis- 
crimination, is to say that we are to exercise 
less practical v/isdom in matters of religion 
than in matters of this world. 

4. It may not always be best to summon a 
council, and after formal deliberations resolve 
on sp^ial efforts, and make formal appoint- 
ments for commencing such efforts. This may 
sometimes be the best way, but in other com- 



74 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

munities, and under other circumstances, it 
might awaken suspicions on the part of the 
irreligious portion of community, and give the 
enemy an advantage, in the work of opposing 
and counteracting the effort. Wisdom is pro- 
fitable to direct in each case what course had 
better be taken. It may be best in some cases 
for the minister merely to make an appoint- 
ment of a single evening meeting for an extra 
lecture, or for a special season of prayer, 
without intimating any thing beyond. When 
that meeting has been held, he can judge from 
the attendance and spirit manifested, whether 
or not it is best to appoint another. In this 
way a church may be drawn into a protracted 
meeting and a revival. 

5. Ministers should always be looking for 
signs of a revival, and ready to improve eycry 
favorable symptom which may manifest itself 
in their congregations. If persons are seen 
unusually affected under the sermon, make it 
in your way to speak to them, and do what 
you can to deepen the good impression made. 
If an unusual seriousness at any time appears 
to rest upon the congregation, appoint t class 
meeting, or an inquiring meeting, and invite 
all who are desirous or even willing to be con* 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 75 

versed with to attend. Should there be none 
to attend, it will do no harm, the members can 
attend and eujoy a good meeting. But it ma.y 
be the means of a revival. No doubt minis- 
ters and professed christians often overlook 
the state of things, and suffer a state of se- • 
riousness to pass olf, v^^hen, i^ a meeting was 
appointed, as above recommended, they would 
find themselves at once, in the midst of a re- 
vival. Much good preaching is no doubt lost 
for want of other appropriate exercises and 
efforts to promote and v/arm into life the seed 
sown. It requires deep conviction and much 
resolution on the part of sinners, to come for- 
ward and declare their purpose to seek God, 
uninvited, and many no doubt who would come 
forward, if invited at the proper time in a 
proper manner, for want of such invitation 
never appear at God's altar ; they are often 
convicted under the ministrations of the word, 
and go away and lose their serious impress- 
ions. Let ministers and leading professors 
look well to this point, and there will be many 
revivals where there are but few now. 



SECTION VIII. 

Directions for tlie management of Revivals— Revival 

Preacliing. 

Having treated of the commencement of 
revivals in the preceding section, in this some 
directions v/ill be given for their management 
during their progress. The reader is request- 
ed not to lose sight of the remarks which were 
made at the opening of the last section, on 
the difficulty of giving such directions as may 
be applied with general beneiit, by the great 
variety of minds, acting amid the various and 
ever chaaiging circumstances inseparable from 
the wide field of revival efforts. Too much 
must not be expected from rules; rules cannot 
supply the place of practical good sense, but 
onl}'^ assist it, and supply, in a small degree, 
the lack of experience. As there remarked, 
rules to be generally useful must be general 
in their character, embracing only a few lead- 
ing points. The following are designed to 
apply to the manner of preaching during a 
revival while it is in progress. 

The preaching should be of a character suit* 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 77 

ed to the general intellectual condition of tIi-2 
community, and to the state of the work, cal- 
culated to produce and assist those mental 
states and exercises which constitute the es- 
sential elements of a revival. The great ob- 
ject of all preaching is to save souls ; but 
within this great object there are several se- 
condary objects to be aimed at, as means to 
an end. One great object is to teach the peo- 
ple, and enlighten them so as to make them 
understand the doctrines and duties of Chris- 
tianity generally. Another object is to per- 
suade individual m^en to do their duty. It is 
clear that men are easier to be taught and 
iQade to know their duty, than they are to be 
persuaded to do it ; hence, so few vv'ho do as 
well as they know. To persuade them, we 
may touch every spring that moves the soul ; 
we may present the claims of the law; we 
may point out the enormity of sin; we may* 
show the depravity of the human heart, and 
expose its enmity to God and holiness; we 
may appeal to the law of God, and the suffer- 
ing and tender compassion of Christ, and seek 
to rouse the conscience and move the soul by 
spreading before the mind the terrors of per- 
dition and the glories and joys of heaven 



78 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

That it is right to employ all these considera 
tioiis to move the sinner, is clear from the facl 
that they are all employed in the Scriptures ; 
God makes use of them all to persuade sin- 
ners to re]3ent. The whole truth should be 
preached, and the whole duty of man should 
be insisted upon by every minister and by 
every church, but all cannot be done in a day, 
nor even during the ordinary continuance of 
a revival. Hence, the minister, during a re- 
vival, should discriminate in favor of those 
particular truths and duties, which are most 
immediately connected with the repentance 
and conversion of sinners, and which are most 
calculated to produce immediate results. A 
few illustrations may be of use. 

1. Instruction during the progress of a re- 
vival should be mainly limited to those points 
essential to a genuine repentance and the ex- 
ercise of that faith by which sinners are jus- 
tified. The nature of repentance, and the na- 
ture of faith as the condition of justification 
or pardon, should be dwelt upon, and made as 
plain as possible. There are various doc- 
trines of the gospel which are proper to be 
preached, and which should be preached at 
other times, which may be profitably omitted 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 79 

during revivals, for the simple fact that they 
have no immediate effect on the great object 
in hand, the conversion of sinners. It may 
be well at proper seasons to discuss the ques- 
tion of the Sabbath m its various aspects, to 
dwell upon the order of creation in the six 
days work of God, the tree of life, and of the 
tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the 
literality of the garden, the nature of the first 
sin, the history of the patriarchs, the bondage 
in Egypt, the journey of the Israelites through 
the wilderness with its incidents, the Mosaic 
ritual with its types and shadows, the building 
of the temple, the various prophets with the 
predictions they uttered, the ministry of John 
the Baptist, the birth of Christ with its inci- 
dents, his temptation, his general life, the ap- 
pointment of his ministers, their respective 
characters and labors, the order and discipline 
of the primitive church, and a thousand other 
like subjects ; \te say it maybe proper to dis- 
cuss these subjects at proper times and sea- 
sons, but to dwell upon any or all of them 
during a revival would be unv/ise and unpro- 
fitable. They are not revival subjects ; they 
furnish a fxeld for much useful instruction, but 
it is not that instruction vvMch is strict! v 



80 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

necessary to, and calculated to produce imme- 
diate repentance and faith. Instruction during 
a revival should be that kind which shows the 
way to Christ, promotes repentance, and as- 
sists faith. 

2. Those duties should be mainly insisted 
upon during a revival, which are necessarily 
connected with conversion. The whole duty 
of man is to be preached, but this cannot be 
done in a day any more than all the doctrinal 
truth of the gospel can be preached in a day. 
There is one sense in which the Avhole duty 
of man should be insisted upon during a revi- 
val w^th peculiar force. It should be urged 
that the principle of obedience must exist in 
the heart, that there must be an entire sur- 
render of the heart to God, in such a submis- 
sion to the will of God as includes a willing- 
ness and purpose to do every duty so far and 
as fast as it be made known. But this can be 
done without dwelling upon and explaining 
every individual duty that may occur during 
life. The minister of the gospel has a wide 
field before him to treat of the various associa- 
tions which make up the combinations of hu- 
man relations, with all their obligations and 
duties ; these are the standing theme of his 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL, 81 

pulpit labors for his whole life, but during the 
continuance of a special revival, he should 
mainly confine himself to those duties which 
are necessarily connected with the conversion 
of sinners. The duty of immediate repen- 
tance, faith, submission to God, and prayer, 
should constitute the principal themes of revi- 
val preaching ; while these duties should be 
urged by all the variety of considerations, 
which can exert an influence over the human 
mind. The variety of preaching during a 
revival, should not be so much a variety of 
themes as a variety of reasons, motives and 
illustrations, by which the few points present- 
ed are urged and pressed home to the heart 
and conscience. 

3. There should be as little controversial 
preaching as possible during a revival. We 
do not mean by this that we are not to preach 
the truth, defend the truth, attack and oppose 
error ; it should be done, it must be done, but 
it should be done at proper seasons and in a 
proper manner, and we do not think a revival 
is the proper season for controversial preach- 
ing. It will, in almost everj congregation, 
awaken a division of feeling, and a contention 
unfriendly to a revival. There is one excep- 



S2 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

tion to this rule. It concerns those errors 
which are immediately in the way of the revi- 
val. When it is found during the progress of 
a revival, that portions of the community 
hold errors which will necessarily prevent 
their conversion while they hold them, and 
that they are impeding the progress of the 
revival, they should be attacked and exposed 
with a strong hand, but even this should be 
done in a spirit of kindness and pity. A little 
tenderness thrown into a good argument, adds 
great force to the logic, and a few tears will 
do more towards convincing the eiTorist, if 
mingled with sound argument, than many se- 
vere controversial blows. But all errors, and 
matters of dilference in opinion, which are 
not at the time immediately in the way of the 
conversion of sinners, and which are not im- 
peding the revival, should be left to be dis- 
cussed and settled at another time, and under 
other circumstances. The introduction of 
any subject on which there is a difference of 
opinion, which difference of opinion is not 
already in the way of the revival, will injure 
if not break it up, by producing a division of 
thought and feeling, and talk, and by diverting 
attention from the one great object, the imme- 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. ^ 83 

diate conversion of sinners. A sinner whose 
thoughts are fixed on the state of his own 
heart, and his sins, who, if his thoughts could 
be kept there a short time, would repent and 
submit to God, by the introduction of some 
controverted point, may have his attention 
diverted from himself to some speculative 
point in theology, and lose his convictions. 
Ministers and professors should be very care- 
ful what they say and do that is liable to 
divert attention and produce division of feel- 
ing. 

4. The preaching during a revival should 
all have some specific object in view. The 
preaching of the truth in general, as too many- 
preach, should be avoided. This has been 
alluded to under the first and second divisions 
of this section, but it needs to be viewed as a 
single point comprehending the entire pulpit 
efforts during a revival. There are but few 
points to be presented and urged during a 
revival, and those are the points which are 
calculated to keep alive and increase the state 
of things which constitutes the revival. The 
minister should have his eye on some one of 
the following objects in all his pulpit labors 
during a revival. 



84 THE REVIVAL MANUAL, 

(1.) The entire consecration of believers 
to God ; such a consecration as produces an 
entire fitness for the work of God. This is 
important, and should be pressed home upon 
the church. 

(2.) The awaking of sinners. To produce 
conviction of sin, in the mind of the sinner, 
is the first thing to be done towards saving 
him. Until this point is gained, all other ef- 
forts are necessarily lost. Conviction is of 
two kinds ; that which consists of the convic- 
tion of the understanding, a rational convic- 
tion, in which the judgment as an intellectual 
operation decides that the soul has sinned and 
is guilty before God ; and that which consists 
of emotion or a deep feeling of compunction. 
It requires both these to constitute evangeli- 
cal repentance, yet they are not always com- 
bined in the same degree ; some have a larger 
share of the rational, and others exhibit more 
of compunction and emotion. To pioduce 
these states, and especially the feeling, should 
be one distinct object of preaching, during a 
revival. 

(3.) To lead the awakened sinner to Christ 
is one of the leading objects of preaching du- 
ring a revival. This is often difficult; much 



THE TvEVlVAL MANUAL. 85 

more so in some cases than others. Much de- 
pends upon the reJigious education persons 
have received, their peculiar doctrinal notions, 
and their previous habits of thinking. Some 
will be found to hold views which are in the 
way of their taking hold upon Christ by faith ; , 
and to attack and overcome these false views 
without waking up a spirit of controversy is 
a difficult matter. It can commonly be done 
most effectually by exhibiting and dwelling 
upon the opposite truths. 

To bring the awakened sinner to Christ, 
faith must be exhibited in the most plain and 
simple manner. This may be done by a va- 
riety of illustrations borrowed from the varied 
incidents of christian experience. The more 
simple the better ; it is simplicity that the 
awakened sinner needs to assist his faith, more 
than learned disquisitions. This is well illus- 
trated in the following anecdote. 

It is said of a distinguished nobleman, that, 
finding himself wasting away under the influ- 
ence of disease, he turned his attention to re- 
ligion. He inquired the condition of salva- 
tion, and was told, he must believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ. But what y>^as faith, — 
what was it to believe ? was the next inquiry. 



86 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

On this his mind labored. He remembered 
that one of his farmers Vv^as a very zealous., 
praying man, and he sent for him ; and on his 
coming before him, he asked him v/hat faith 
M^as. The plain farmer replied, that it was 
taking God at his word. This pleased him, 
but it was so simple that he vvas afraid to trust 
to it, and sent for a learned minister to explain 
the nature of faith to him. He gave him a 
very labored, sound, and learned exposition of 
faith. When he had got through, the lord 
said, " I like the farmer's faith best after all, 
I prefer to die in his faith." 

To bring the awakened sinner to Christ it 
is necessary to explain and enforce the duty 
of an entire surrender of the heart to God. 
God will have the heart. Every sin must be 
given up, and every duty must be resolved 
upon. So long as there is an unwillingness 
to give up any one sin, or to perform any one 
duty, the soul cannot be converted. There 
must be an entire surrender. An illustration 
or two may be useful on this point. 

Some years since a revival was in progress 
in a New-England village, in the Baptist and 
Methodist churches at the same time. A 
Toung lady went forward foj prayers in the 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 87 

Baptist clmrch for many evenings in succes- 
sion, and obtained no relief, while many oth- 
ers were converted. At last the Baptist min- 
ister took her to task, and told her that she 
had not surrendered all or she would have 
been blessed ; there was some sin she was un- 
willing to forsake, some duty that she w^as not 
willing to do, or some confession required of 
her w^hich she was not willing to make. She 
declared that there v/as no such thing, unless 
it was one single word she had once spoken. 
Said she, " Last winter when there was a 
revival in the Methodist Church, I was there,, 
and felt powerfully convicted, and when they 
invited them forward to the altar, I was in- 
clined to go, but did not. Soon they began to 
pray and were noisy, and I was offended at 
the noise and left the house, saying I would 
go to hell rather than get religion in such a 
noise." '' Well," said the Baptist minister, 
" I am afraid you w^ill go to hell unless you 
get religion there ; God appears likely to take 
you at your word. I advise you to go there 
and make the trial." She went to the Metho- 
dist meeting the next evening and was con- 
verted. Ic is not to be presumed that the 
Methodist altar and Methodist noise, in them- 



88 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

selves, were essential to her conversion, but 
only that she had made them so by the rebel- 
lion of her heart against the work of God. 
The heart was not subdued until she was wil- 
ling to be converted any where, and in the use 
of any means that God saw fit to own and 
bless ; and until the heart submits to God and 
makes an entire surrender, the soul cannot be 
saved. 

In one of the Northern towns in the State 
of New York, a powerful revival v/as in pro- 
gress, some fifteen years since. A man of 
property, living some miles from the village, 
got powerfully awakened, and came forward 
for prayers for a number of evenings, and got 
no relief. He was in great distress, and on 
the last evening cried out in his anguish, not 
knowing what he said, " Lord, give me a 
month to get rid of my horses." The truth 
flashed in an instant upon the minds of those 
who were near him and heard what he said. 
The case was, he had been a horse racer^ and 
at the time owned two valuable race horses. 
"When he approached God, horse racing was 
presented as an evil which he must aban- 
don, and conversion under such circumstances 
would depreciate the value of his horses upon 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 89 

his hands. This was the sacrifice he felt most 
unwilling to make, and hence the struggle in 
his mind, and hence that ejaculation, '' Give 
me a month to get rid of my horses." Those 
around him explained to him that he must 
give up all, and he made a full surrender and 
received the blessing. 

The writer was once engaged in a revival 
on his own charge, and an Innkeeper, a Rum- 
seller, presented himself at the altar for pray- 
ers. He was powerfully awakened ; and could 
lie have been converted without giving up rum- 
selling, he would probably have been convert- 
ed; but as it was, after struggling for a week, 
he gave it up and went back. It is not meant 
by this that no rumseller ever v/as converted, 
but with the light and means of information 
which he enjoyed, it was not possible that he 
could submit to God, believe and trust in 
Christ, v/ithout abandoning the practice of 
rum selling. 

Every serpnion during a revival, should bear 
more or less on this point, impressing upon 
the mind of the awakened sinner the nature 
and absolute necessity of entire submission to 
God. To impress the mind with the true na- 
ture of submission, it should be made pl^^- 



90 THE REVIVAL MANUAL, 

and distinct that it is the heart that God 
claims; it is not our farms, not oiir money, 
not our pleasures, but ourselves. The reason 
why we cannot be saved while we cling to 
any one thing which God interdicts, is because 
that one thing, however trifling it may be in 
itself, controls our hearts, and keeps us from 
God ; however small the object may be, it in- 
tervenes between the heart and God. So long 
as we keep back the smallest thing, that thing 
will hold the heart back. God will have the 
heart ; he will accept of nothing in place of 
it ; all things else would be rejected without 
the heart. This is well illustrated in the fol- 
lowing fact : 

A minister was preaching, in the West, on 
the death of Christ for sinners. When he 
had closed his remarks, a poor Indian rose, 
and advancing near the minister, inquired if 
Jesus died for him, for poor Indian. The min- 
ister told him he did, and was able and willing 
to save him. " Well," said the Indian, with 
tears in his eyes, "me got no land to give 
Jesus, white man got all Indian's land away, 
but me give Jesus my dog and my rifle." The 
minister informed him that Jesus could not 
accept such gifts. The son of the forest added, 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL, 



91 



•* me give my rifle, my dog and my blanket ; 
Indian got nothing more, me give Jesus all." 
The minister again informed him that Jesus 
could not accept such gifts. The Indian bowed 
his head in sorrow, but after a moment's re- 
flection he raised himself up, and fixing his 
eye on the minister, said in a subdued tone, 
" Here is poor Indian, will Jesus have him?" 
That was the offering which Jesus could ac- 
cept, and in that moment the Spirit did its 
work, and he who had been so poor, felt the 
witness v/ithin that he was heir to an inheri- 
tance. 

The above points are the leading objects of 
all the preaching during a revival, and that 
they may be distinctly understood, we repeat 
them. They are first, to produce, on the part 
of professors, an entire consecration to God 
and his work ; secondly, to produce convic- 
tion on the part of sinners, causing them to 
see, and feel, and confess their sins ; and, 
thirdly, to lead the awakened sinner to Christ, 
making an entire surrender of his heart, and 
trusting in the atonement through faith for 
salvation. These points may be presented in 
Tarioiis forms, and made plain by the use of a 
greet va^riety of facts and illustrations. In- 



92 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

deed, a variety should be kept up during a 
revival, by elaborating them, and presenting 
them in a variety of aspects, and with various 
illustrations, rather than by wandering from 
them to other subjects, whereby the sinner's 
mind may be diverted from the one point upon 
which it must be fixed and kept to produce 
conversion. , 



SECTION IX. 

Directions for managing revivals. Government^ prayer 
and singing. 

The writer has no disposition to deny or 
overlook the fact that revivals have often been 
badly managed, or not managed at all, and 
have sometimes degenerated into wild fanati- 
cism and hurtful errors. There is a liability 
to this always with a certain class of minds, 
and it must be guarded against by those who 
are capable of appreciating the danger. The 
following extract from Mr. Wesley shows that 
there were evils to be guarded against in his 
day. The extract is from a letter written by 
Mr. Wesley to Adam Clarke, at a time when 
he was engaged in a revival, dated September 
9, 1790. 

'' In the great reviv?J in London, my first 
difficulty was to bring into temper those who 
opposed the work; and my next, to check and 
**egulate the extravagances of those tha,t pro- 
■loted it. And this v/as far the hardest part 
■f the work ; for many of them would bear 
^ ^"'^eck at all. But I followed one rule. 



94 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

though v/ith all calmness : ' You must either 
bend or break.' Meantime, while you act ex- 
actly right, expect to be blamed by both sides. 
I will give you a few directions. 1. See that 
no prayer meeting continues later than nine 
at night, particularly on Sunday. Let the 
house be emptied before the clock strikes nine. 
2. Let there be no exhortation at any prayer 
meeting. 3. Beware of jealousy, or judging 
one another. 4. Never think a man is an 
enemy to the work because he reproves irre- 
gularities." 

We have not quoted the above because we 
believe all that^ Mr. Wesley says adapted to 
our age and country ; we think it would not 
do strictly to enforce his rules among us, 
though they may have been the best in his 
time and in his hands. Our object in giving 
the extract is to show that there were difficul- 
ties connected with revivals in Mr. Wesley's 
day, and that irregularities, or extravagances, 
were among the evils most difficult to manage 
and counteract. We have known like difficul- 
ties in our own times in this country, and 
have seen revivals destroyed by a wild and 
unmanageable spirit that got in among the 
people, and have linov.'n cliurches ruined by it. 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 95 

We have seen this among other denominations 
as well as among Methodists. It would be of 
no use to spread the particulars of these dis- 
asters to religion upon our page ; our object 
is to give a few directions which may assist 
in conducting revivals to a happier result. 

1. A revival meeting, like every other meet- 
ing, must have a head. Some person must be 
known as the presiding officer of the meeting, 
whose right and duty it is to preserve order, 
and give all necessary directions. Such leader 
should be the officiating minister when he is 
present, and some deacon or class leader when 
there is no minister present. Such leader or 
presiding officer being acknowledged, his direc- 
tions must be respected and obeyed. It is 
difficult for erring men to act in sufficient con- 
cert, unless they do it through some common 
oracle. If one be at liberty to propose pray- 
ers, another exhortation, another singing, and 
a fourth that the meeting be closed, and a fifth 
that it be continued longer, confusion and de- 
feat will be the consequence. 

2. Order and decorum must be preserved. 
What these are is perhaps difficult to define, 
they are so much a matter of taste. In many 
particulars, Episcopalian decorum is one thing. 



96 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

Presbyterian decorum another, and Methodist 
decorum another. There are, however, cer- 
tain Scriptural bounds within which all should 
keep ; but within these Scriptural limits there 
is room for much variety ; to a certain extent, 
therefore, decorum and order are matters of 
taste. We have seen souls converted amid 
noise and apparent confusion, and we have 
seen them converted where solemn silence 
reigned, save the single voice of him who was 
mouth in prayer. The confusion is only with 
men, not with God ; at the hour of worship, 
there are prayers sent up from ten thousand 
altars in different places at the same moment, 
with the belief that God can hear and answer 
them all ; and surely the distance that men are 
from each other when they pray, can make no 
difference with God. The confusion, then, is 
only with men ; God could hear and answer a 
hundred prayers offered in the same place at 
the same time. These remarks are not made 
to justify several praying vocally at the same 
time ; as a general practice, we do not approve 
of any such thing, but our design is merely 
to show that hearty responses in time of 
prayer, and even several voices engaged in 
prayer at the same time, cannot prevent God 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 97 

from hearing them, if each be offered in faith, 
or invalidate the work of conversion v/hich 
may he supposed to take place amid such a 
state of things. Much depends upon educa- 
tion and habit ; many could not pray or retain 
their devotional feelings, where some others 
would be in their religious element and feel 
a peculiar sense of the divine presence ; we 
should therefore manage these difficulties with 
charity and tenderness. He who has the 
charge of a revival should never lose sight of 
the education, intelligence, habits, and tem- 
perament of the people whom he has to man- 
age, and while he should insist on the life and 
power of faith and prayer, and a proper ani- 
mation in devotion, he should guard against 
all irregularities with a gentle hand, and yet 
stand as a wall of brass across the path which 
leads to those licentious and ruinous j)ractices 
which have sometimes resulted from unre- 
strained wildfire. The fact cannot be too 
strongly impressed upon the minds of all, that 
what would be the most prudent course, and 
what would give the greatest efficiency to a 
revival in one community, would check it if 
not stop it in another, in consequence of the 
different views, feelings and weaknesses com- 



98 THK RKVIVAL MANUAL. 

mon to poor humanity. If tares must be re- 
moved, Jet it be done in a manner to injure 
the wheat as little as possible ; but let it not 
be forgotten that some are to be suffered to 
remain until the harvest, lest the wheat be 
destroyed in plucking them up. 

Those irregularities which are most likely 
to transpire during a revival, can be most 
effectually opposed and guarded against when 
there is no special religious excitement perva- 
ding the congregation, inasmuch as proper 
views of order and decorum, if expressed and 
urged, wdil not then come in immediate con- 
tact with the practice and excited feelings of 
those who most need such lessons. If minis- 
ters and leaders in the church would adminis* 
ter sufficient instruction on the subject when 
there is no special excitement, so as to pro- 
duce correct views and right feelings, it would 
be comparatively easy to preserve order under 
the influence of a revival. 

3. Singing during a revival is an important 
part of religious exercise. Words should be 
well selected so as to meet the feelings of the 
congregation : or so as to be suited to the case 
of awakened sinners. An appropriate verse, 
well sung, at the right time, will sometimes 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. V^ 

do more to assist the struggling spirit to take 
hold on Christ by faith, than a long sermon or 
a long prayer. The words may be a prayer 
clothed in the charms of music, so that while 
they have all the power with God that any 
praj'er can have, it reacts on our own hearts 
with a redoubled influence. Suppose an awa- 
kened sinner to be near the point of believing 
and receiving Christ, at the close of an appro- 
priate prayer, who can tell the influence it may 
have to join in singing the following verse : 

'• Come, Lord, the drooping sinner eheer, 

Nor let thy chariot wheels delay; 
Appear, in my poor heart appear I 

My God. my Savior, come away V^ 

Or the following : 

" Yet save a trembling sinner, Lord, 
Whose hope, still hov'ring round thy word, 
Would light on some sweet promise there, 
Some sure support against despair/' 

Such words are always to be preferred to the 
light ditties which are too frequently sung on 
such occasions. 

Though frequent singing ma.y be useful, long 
singing by all means should be avoided; it 
cannot fail to be hurtful. .From one to four 
verses is all that should be sung at a time in 
revival meetings. 

4. Prayer forms the most important of all 



100 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

parts of revival exercises. There are several 
points of light in which we may view the 
subject of prayer. 

First, there should be constant aud earnest 
prayer on the part of all interested in the 
revival. " Men ought always to pray and not 
to faint," yet during a revival, they should 
pray more than usual ; there should be more 
secret prayer, more social prayer, more public 
prayer, and more earnest prayer. This will 
give weight and power to ail the other exer- 
cises. When a whole church are really united 
in earnest prayer to God, the minister, if he 
be God's minister, will appear clothed with 
an unusual power, and his words will be life 
and spirit. 

Secondly, all the public prayers during a 
revival, should be short and appropriate. Long 
seasons of prayer should be avoided ; there 
should not be more than two or three prayers 
offered in succession, and they should be short 
and to the point. In praying for those vrho 
may have presented themselves for the benefit 
of prayers, their case should be presented 
directly and specifically before the throne. 
Nothing can appear more inappropriate than 
to offer a general and diffusive prayer at aj] 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 101 

altar, around which spirits are bowed, crying 
for mercy, and struggling for immediate deliv^ 
erance. It may be well to pray for our whole 
land and nation, that each minister may be 
blessed, that each church may be enlarged, that 
the corrupt and corrupting streams of intem- 
perance and licentiousness may be dried up, 
and that slavery and every form of oppression 
may be overthrown ; it may be well also to 
pray for the nations of the earth, that the 
Indias may be blessed, that Ethiopia may- 
stretch out her hands to God, that the North 
may give up and the South keep not back, 
that Christ may have the heathen for his in- 
heritance and the earth for his possession ; 
we say it may be well to pray for all these 
things and many more, but not at the time 
and place where awakened sinners have pre- 
sented themselves for prayers ; then should 
our prayers respect tlieir case in particular, 
and when we have prayed all we have to urge 
at the throne of grace for their conversion, 
we should close and let another pray. When 
we invite sinners forward for prayers, it is 
that we may pray for them, and not that, we 
may pray for the conversion of Africa and' 
the Indias; we can pra,y for these lands with- 



i02 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

out inviting sinners forward. It must have a 
bad influence on the mind of a deeply anxious 
sinner^ who has presented himself for prayers, 
at our request, to hear us pray round the 
world, and for everything else rather than his 
conversion. 

5. Visiting, and religious conversavtion, may 

be rendered an efficient means of promoting a 
revival. This is an important portion of the 
regular pastoral labors of a minister, which 
should be neglected at no time, but we speak 
of a more general work now as a means of 
carrying on a revival. At such a time the 
work should not be left wholly to the regular 
minister ; he cannot attend to it amid all his 
other extra efforts. Let some other ministers, 
deacons or class leaders, or any judicious 
Christians engaged in the work, go from house 
to house, and converse and pray with every 
family. In this way many will be reached 
who would otherwise escape the influence of 
all the public exercises. 

The above rules embrace all the important 
points in relation to the management of revi- 
vals, and their amplification and application, 
under the various circumstances that may 
arise, must be left to the good sense of those 
engaged in the work. 



SECTION X. 

T'he course to be pursued at and aft-er tlie close of a 
revival. 

From the very nature of a revival it must 
come to a close. One essential element of a 
revival is the conversion of many persons at 
the same time, or in rapid succession, and this 
operation cannot continaie long, as all within 
its influence would soon be converted, and it 
would cease, as fire goes out when the fuel is 
consumed. It is usually the case, however, 
that revivals close from other influences, but 
as all revivals must and do close from some 
influence, it is proper to contemplate the state 
of things v/hich must attend srch close, and 
to point out the proper course to be pursued. 
Assuming, on the basis of what has been said 
in the preceding sections, that revivals are the 
genuine offspring of Christianity, and truly 
promote the work of God, no one Vvdll deny 
that their close furnishes a solemn subject for 
contemplation. The number that have been 
converted and have turned from sin to holiness, 
and from the way that leads to destruction 



104 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

to the path that leads to life, is a matter of 
serious thought. But the number that have 
withstood the influence of the revival, and 
are still in their sins and in the way to death, 
is a more solemn subject of contemplation. 
Their chances are far less for salvation ; they 
have added to their guilt and hardness' of 
heart ,* and as they have not yielded under the 
influence of the revival, they are less likely 
to yield and be converted v/hen there is no 
revival ; and their ehance to live to pass 
through another revival are not flattering; 
and should they live to see another, as they 
have resisted the influence of one they may, 
yea, are more likely to resist the influence of 
another. Such are some of the reflections 
which the close of a revival is calculated to 
inspire. But the object of this closing section 
of our little volume, is more particularly to 
note a few useful rules to be observed. 

1. A revival should never be prematurely 
closed by discontinuing the necessary efforts 
eo keep it alive. Though a revival must 
close, yet we should keep it in operation as 
long as possible, and cease our extra revival 
efforts, only when souls cease to be converted. 

2. It is impoitant to know when a revive* 



THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 105 

is closed, and then, and not till then, cease 
such extra efforts as have special reference to 
the immediate awakening and conversion of 
sinners. To attempt to force forward a revi- 
val by extra efforts, after the convicting and 
converting power of the Divine Spirit has 
ceased its work, will not only be a waste of 
time and strength, but may do harm in other 
respects. 

3. It is not best to suspend extra efforts too 
suddenly ; such a course may produce too 
great a shock in the minds of young converts, 
and especially in the minds of those who have 
but little christian knowledge, and who have 
never been constant attendants on public wor- 
ship before the revival. Having been drawn 
in by the influence of the revival, and having 
attended worship every day or evening for a 
v/eek or two, this being the whole of their 
christian experience, to throw them suddenly 
out of their new element for a whole week, 
may have an unfavorable influence. This re- 
mark may have some force in relation to 
all young converts, but it is not so much de- 
signed for those who have enjoyed a thorough 
religious education^ as for those who have 
been suddenly gathered from the lanes and 



10 G" TPfE REVIVAL MANtTAX, 

hedges by the influence of the revival. Sucb 
need tender care, and should be eased off from 
the extra efforts under the influence of which 
they have been converted as gently as possi- 
ble. For this purpose frequent conference or 
class meetings should be held, and they be fre- 
quently and freely conversed with and encou* 
raged. 

4. In closing a revival, much depends upon 
the manner in which the ofSciating minister 
discharges his duties in the pulpit. If he let 
himself down ct once from the high toned, 
heart searching preaching adapted to a revival,. 
to a cold, abstract, philosophical style of 
preaching, the transition will be so great as 
to produce unfavora^ble effects upon the minds 
of the congregation, especially the young con- 
verts. The warmth should be kept up, v/hile 
the preacher should gently glide off from those 
subjects which were designed to promote the 
conversion of sinners, to such subjects as are 
calculated to instruct, strengthen,, and pro- 
mote a grovf th of grace, 

5. Pastoral visiting should be kept up after 
a revival, v/ith ze?J amd fidelity. Much de- 
pends upon this ; for want of it many con- 
verts have been lost. Let the minister, assist- 



THE REVIVAI. MANUAT.. 107 

•ed by experienced members of the church, call 
frequently upon the converts, and converse 
freely and faithfully with them, instruct and 
pray with them, and there will be less com- 
plaining of the apostacy of revival converts. 
There are a few difficulties in the w^ay of 
-carrying out these views which it may be vrell 
-to notice. The first is, the exhausted state 
of the principal laborers in a revival, and the 
increased demands for their attention in other 
directions, in consequence of the extra time 
and labor devoted to the revival. Those who 
have passed through the labors of a revival, 
feel the necessity of rest, and are under pecu- 
liar temptation to be less active than at other 
times. A second difficulty, among Methodists,, 
is inseparable from the operation of tLeiT': 
itinerant system. Those who travel cir-oo.\ts 
are apt to neglect some portion of thfjlr lield 
of labor while they are laboring m a revival 
in a given place, and when the reYiv.ai is over, 
they will feel constrained -to pai' "more atten- 
tion to those neglected ,parts. This often 
leaves the scene of the revival with less than 
usual attention immediately after its close, 
whereas it needs more. Again, the removal 
of ministers from one charge to another, in 



108 THE REVIVAL MANUAL. 

accordance with the itinerant system, will 
often bring the removal of a minister during 
or soon after a revival. Time is lost in the 
change, and the work is left for a time unsup- 
plied ; and when the Txew minister comes, he 
is a stranger, knows but little of the state of 
things, does not know the converts from oth- 
ers, and perhaps before he finds them out, and 
gets into their sympathies, they are backslid- 
den. These difficulties constitute one of the 
strongest objections that can be urged against 
the itinerant system ; but great as they are, in 
the opinion of the writer, they cannot coun- 
terbalance its adyantages. They need occur 
only occasionly, and then may be counteracted 
in part, at least, by care and management. 

We have reached the end of our little vol- 
ume, and have only to add a prayer that it 
may be rendered a blessing to those who shall 
read it, and that revivals may be increased 
until the knowledge of salvation shall fill the 
world, and the kingdoms of this world become 
the kingdom of God. Amen. 



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